Donald Trump will be leaving his business to focus on the presidency, he said in a series of tweets Wednesday morning.
“I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump also said that while he is not required to leave the business he feels it’s “visually important” to avoid any conflicts of interest.
I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016
great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016
do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016
Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016
Still, while more details will be forthcoming, questions remain as to whether this plan will be enough to quell concerns about conflicts between his business and the presidency.
If Trump hands off the business to his children, as he has indicated he would like to do in the past, it could still present conflicts or perceived conflicts of interest between the Trump administration and the Trump family. In the past, presidents have placed their funds in a blind trust, operated without their knowledge by an independent party. Meanwhile, Trump remains close to his children, with many currently occupying official roles in his presidential transition.
Trump tweeted that his children will be present at the Dec. 15 conference, suggesting they will be playing some role in his business going forward — which also means that the fundamental issues surrounding Trump's business empire and his upcoming presidency will largely remain as well.
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A bill was introduced in the House earlier this month that would require the president and vice president to put their assets in a blind trust or inform the Office of Government Ethics when making decisions that would affect their personal finances.
“Every recent president in modern history has taken steps to ensure his financial interests do not conflict with needs of the American people,” Rep. Katherine Clark, who introduced the bill, said in a statement. “The American people need to be able to trust that the President’s decisions are based on the best interests of families at home, and not the President’s financial interests.”
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